


Welcome to Ba Sing Se*

by Kennkirk



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brainwashing, Not Beta Read, Temporary Amnesia, There Is No War In Ba Sing Se, Zuko is brainwashed instead of Jet, Zuko's a suspicious turtleduck, starring bad spelling and awkward grammar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:55:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29256318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kennkirk/pseuds/Kennkirk
Summary: Lee is an Earth Kingdom refugee who has recently moved to Ba Sing Se to escape... something. But new city, new Lee. That should be the end of the story. But Lee’s got this scar that he didn’t know about, a surprise Uncle who calls him Zuko, and the Dai Li watching from his shadow.* side effects may include but not restricted to: minortomajormemoryloss,brainwashing,loosingtime,andparanoia
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1: The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a Ba Sing Se AU covering from just after Zuko's fight with Jet in Ba Sing Se to somewhere around where the Gaang uncovers the conspiracy.  
> This is 100% inspired by "Zuko's Lost Days" by backatpatrickpark. It's a great story and super fun concepts also Zukka if that's your cup o' tea :)  
> I'm writing this really quickly and I'm not going to do a lot of editing. There's gonna be spelling and grammar mistakes. Sorry. Depending on how much I like this story I might go back and clean up things.

The ceiling was green and the comforter was nearly too hot, sweat clung to his skin. He kicked off the comforter looking around. The early dawn light casted blue tints against the green walls making the room glow in a sickly hue.

He… didn’t know where he was. The large room spread out before him and he heard the soft breathing on his right. Lee blinked down at the two dark heads entwined in the large comforter. There was a man and a woman still fast asleep. They were older, likely around there 40’s now. He racked his mind for any memory of the two. A cold fear curdled his stomach. Backing up he inched away from the strange room. His back softly bumping into a table. A vase rattled and the woman’s warm brown eyes blinked open.

A large smile stretched over her mouth a fraction too wide for friendly, “Awake already Lee?”

_Lee, yes that’s right. I’m Lee._ His mind throbbed but Lee didn’t move he didn’t dare look away from the woman.

“Well?” the woman raised an eyebrow, “Won’t you wish your Aunt a good morning?”

_That… doesn’t feel right?_

Lee tongue felt like massive in his mouth, he swallowed thickly his eyes darting to the man who started to stir, “Good morning Aunt.”

“Joo Dee,” the man grumbled, “Go back to sleep.”

“Oh, get up you lug.” Aunt Joo Dee rolled her eyes smacking the man’s arm. She shot a warm look at Lee. Lee hands dug into the rug his breath catching in his throat. “Go get dressed for your work at the tea shop Lee.”

Lee didn’t move as Joo Dee sat up rolling up the futon. Blushing as she shot him a sharp look Lee hurried to his feet quickly stumbling to the dresser.

Lee worked his jaw listening to Joo Dee hum happily behind him. “Aunt Joo Dee?”

“Hm?”

Lee peered over his left shoulder. Her features where blurred, he couldn’t see her face clearly only the blurry green figure wandering around. His hand lifted to rub his eye when Joo Dee’s hand wrapped in his.

“Left chest.” The smile was back on Joo Dee’s face, “Let me know if you need anything more Lee. Your parents didn’t send you to Ba Sing Se with very much.”

Lee opened the chest looking down at the unfamiliar fabrics. Joo Dee reached over pulling out a uniform, “Here you are Lee.”

She tutted as he shrugged the uniform on her hands fussing with the ties and straightening the long apron, “If you need anything ever Lee. Your Uncle and I are more than happy to take you in after your parent’s tragic passing.”

Lee nodded cold washing over him. Joo Dee’s hands stayed on his shoulders she leaned down closer, “I know you’ve had a terribly traumatic experience, and you don’t remember things very well, but let me know. I’m here for you Lee.”

He felt his hands standing on end as her smile stretched back across her face, no, his aunt’s face. “You are safe here in Ba Sing Se. There is no war in Ba Sing Se.”

Lee blinked and he was outside in the cool morning air. The sun warming the stone around him. Joo Dee walked next to him holding his arm as she guided him down the street. His mind swirled and panic crawled back up this throat.

Yanking his arm Lee scrambled back. Joo Dee’s smile stretched across her face, “What is it nephew?”

He felt like he had been flung into the ice waters of the Northern Water Tribe, fear flooded him. “Who are you?” he snarled his stance shifting.

Joo Dee’s smile didn’t move, “Lee?”

“Where am I?” Lee bellowed. The walls of the street seemed to close in around him as the shadows slipped and shuffled against the ground. Shadows turned into men with clacking hands.

“Oh dear,” Joo Dee smiled her cheerful tone grating against Lee, _and that’s not right either,_ Lee’s mind.

“Oh dear,” she smiled as the men came closer, “Not again.”

Lee jumped diving forward as hand grabbed his ankle. His head smacked hard against the ground his vision blurred.

“Zuko the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai”


	2. Chapter 1: The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by "Zuko's lost days" by backatpatrickpark  
> Again. Not edited.

He blinked and started. The sun shimmered over head and the book in his lap tumbled to the ground. A woman’s voice tutted from beside him.

“Careful now Lee.”

She was an older woman, wrinkled across her face even with the smile stretched across her face. She turned to him handing back the book. “What an air head nephew I seem to have! Come let’s get some dinner.”

She stood up tugging on his arm. Lee looked around at the garden and the rosy sunlight shimmering through the tree branches. The woman, his Aunt wrapped her arm through his and he stumbled after her looking around. His throat closed up and he tried to probe for answers. He was in Ba Sing Se, after that a black void of hazy impressions.

He glanced at the woman, “Excuse me…?”

The woman, his Aunt raised an eyebrow, “Yes Lee?”

“I don’t…”

She sighed, “Your family warned me you were airheaded. Don’t you listen? You’ll make your poor Aunt Joo Dee go gray before my time!”

Lee glanced around at the long shadows as Joo Dee tugged him down a street. Large fences bore down oppressively from either side. The green trees barely poking the tops of their head over the thick earth walls.

“I have a job for you at this new tea shop that just opened up.” Joo Dee said, “They are looking for new servers.”

Lee swallowed as one of the shadows moved wrong. His head snapped forward the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. The shadows felt like eyes he suppressed a shiver. Joo Dee tugged on his arm, “I’m just happy you’re settling in well. I know it’s a big change here in Ba Sing Se with your aunt but your safe now.”

“That’s,” he looked at Joo Dee, “I don’t know you.”

“Lee, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai.”

Lee felt his knees wobble his eyes burned as a wave of nausea washed over him. He hiccupped hands flying to his mouth. He blinked.

His eyes opened to a green room and the smell of strange flowery perfume. Joo Dee placed down a title on a game bord. He looked down at the Pai Sho. His gut churned and his eyes were watery. He blinked away the tears shocked. A sharp pain in his hand had in unfurling his cramped hand. A white Lotus title was nested in his hand. The tiles of the tile now pressed into the flesh of his palm.

Cold sweat rolled down the back of his neck. Lee _and that wasn’t quiet right either,_ swallowed. He sucked in a deep breath fixing his expression.

Joo Dee smile was back on her face. Lee glanced at the board. He picked up a red crane placing the tile down as he slipped the white lotus tile into his slipper.

If Joo Dee had noticed anything she didn’t show it. He remembered the garden, leaving and then nothing. A prickle of fear kept his back straight and the expression in his face mild. His mind left to fill in the gaps. Wandering the Earth Kingdom trying to go home to his aunt Joo Dee, arriving, and taking the train to the Upper Wall. Splotches of memories leapt to fill the games but the nausea was back. It… something was off.

Lee glanced around at the green walls. He felt when Joo Dee noticed his wandering eyes. His heart pounded in his chest.

“We should get a plant.” He spoke. “It would brighten the room up nicely.”

Joo Dee hummed and get a tile down, “That would be nice.”

Lee watched out of the corner of his eye. His ear strained listening to the pattern of her breathing. Her shoulders were slumped and eyes slipping to the paper on her lap. She wasn’t watching carefully.

Lee glanced around the room as if trying to place the best spot for a plant. Hiss eyes slipped to the open windows. The balcony looked back from the inside. A shadow shifted.

Lee felt his throat tighten but he fought the feeling. Rocking forward he peered down at the Pai Sho table. He placed down a tile trying to stop his hand from shaking.

Joo Dee glanced up at the board. Her grin nearly seemed to slip as it strained like meat sagging on a rack, “You certain don’t play well for how much you wanted to play this game.”

Lee let the words wash over him. Glancing at the window he reconsidered. Calculating the sightlines and hidden corners he decided.

“What if we put a plant there?” he pointed to the window ledge in the middle. 

Joo Dee looked at where Lee was pointing. She smiled brighter, “We are getting a plant.”

It was subtle, he nearly didn’t catch it but his mind stuck to the tightness rolling down Joo Dee’s shoulders and his argument died in his throat. He swallowed it down shifting his weight. The tile in his slippers pressed against his foot like a warning. He held his tongue. The seconds slipped by and none of the shadows moved.

“What are you reading Aunt Joo Dee?”

Her eyes narrowed over the big smile. Lee schooled his expression carefully.

“Notes from work nephew.”

Lee bowed his head keeping his eyes down on the game. Out of the corner of his eye, Joo Dee tucked the notes away into her sleeves. He waited for the shadows to move. Clicking down a tile without any real thought, Joo Dee didn’t make any movement. Nothing came out of the shadows. Lee had passed that test too.

Joo Dee looked over the game and scoffed before the smile came back onto her face, “I’m afraid dear nephew you have lost the game.”

She clicked down a tile. Heart pounding Lee bowed brushing down his robes, “I’m tired.”

When nothing leapt from the shadows with clacking hands Lee hurried off into the next room quickly tugging off his robes. He looked through his chest counting each non descript piece of clothing. Reaching to the very bottom he pulled out a pair of baggy pants tugging those on. Placing his slippers close to his hands he crawled into the futon. He turned off the lantern and waited. Fear prickled the back of his mind at the thought of sleep. He blinked and held his breath staring up at the ceiling. It stayed in place after each blink.

Patting the floor, he tugged a slipper closer fingering the tile. His hand curled around the tile and he focused everything on feeling the smooth grain of the tile. The little indents of the lotus flower printed into the stone. His breathing evened out. He closed his eyes. He didn’t sleep but to anyone watch it would look like he was. All night long he brushed his hand against the tile and counted his breathing. The echo of a man’s voice ringing like a phantom in his head.

_“I only nag because I worry about you nephew.”_

No matter how he turned the voice over in his head, it didn’t sound like Joo Dee.


	3. Chapter 2: There are no wars in Ba Sing Se

Lee circled the apartment for the third time and there was still no mirror. With a huff he put the hair brush back down on the table glancing around the apartment again. Out of all the things to hide from Lee, it was the lack of mirrors that had him nearly steaming at the ears. He scoped around feeling stupider by the second.

In the corner of the room Lee side eyed Joo Dee as she brushed down her robes smoothing wrinkles. Her hands fluttered up brushing down the complicated bun.

_It’s only a mirror._

But it wasn’t, and Lee didn’t know why. He knew something was off about his face, the skin over his left side felt rough under his fingers, but the last time he tried to touch it he had blinked and woken up somewhere else. Which was why it was so wildly unfair.

Lee weighed the costs, decided he didn’t care. It was the principle of the thing.

He had been here in this awful apartment for the past three days (that he could remember). A neat little bundle of times that he blinked and wasn’t where he last remembers. Between Joo Dee’s smile and the moving shadows he wasn’t surprised, he was even keeping quiet.

Turns out he’s awful at keeping quiet.

“Aunt Joo Dee,” aunt only because Lee found it was less likely to get the shadows inching closer, “Where is a mirror?”

“You don’t need one.” Joo Dee said. The tone offered no argument.

Lee found an argument. “I want to comb my hair.”

“You don’t need a mirror for that.”

“Yes, I do!” Lee shouted. His throat tightened as the shadows started to move. His hand brush shifted in his grip.

Joo Dee gave a tired sigh through her grin, “Why do you need a mirror?”

Lee’s mind whirled for an excuse, “There’s someone I wanted to ask out. I want to look nice.”

“I’m sorry Lee.” Joo Dee sounded sad but the smile stayed on, “We don’t have a mirror.”

Lee eyed her hair nodding, “Fine. I’ll see you later.”

Joo Dee smiled tighten around her eyes and Lee felt his stomach follow in near harmony. Thinly veiled anger seeped into her tone, “Have a good day nephew.”

Lee hurried out of the apartment before she could change her mind about his behaviour. Three days, and he had no leads. He needed an escape plan. He could get away from Joo Dee, that wouldn’t be hard. It was the clacking shadows that would be the real issue.

Lee eyed a shadow as he passed close, he could see the wisp of dark hair and grim set eyes following him as he passed before it slipped away and disappeared.

He could take these guys… probably.

_And then what nephew, where will you go afterward? You must think these things through!_

Lee feet stutter to a stop as a familiar smell filled his nose. He looked over at a couple of steps where a soldier was oiling the leather of a sword handle. Inching close the soldier looked sharply up at Lee his face twisting into a scowl.

“Keep moving kid.”

“You’re wrapping that sword wrong.” Lee said. He started.

_How do I know that?_

“Oh yeah?” the soldier shifted the swords to the side as he started to stand up, “Think you can do a better job kid?”

“I’m not a kid.” Then Lee’s brain caught up with the rest of his ‘morning’ routine.

Reflective surface, he would be able to see himself, maybe then he would know what Joo Dee was trying to hide from him.

A bubble of excitement bubbled up, “Give me the sword and I’ll show you.”

That came out maybe a little too hasty. His shoulder tensed as a bush rustled behind him on his left. 

The way the soldier’s eyes flickered then snapped back to Lee’s completely.

The Soldier’s didn’t look away staring down Lee. Lee was starting to bristle when the soldier whisphered, “the Dai Li are here.”

_Who are the Dai Li_

The soldier’s brow started to sweat much louder now he said, “You’re too young to hold a sword.”

His boil roiled as his hands itched fiercely with the heat simmering just under his skin, “I’m not a kid! I know how to use a sword!”

The soldier’s eyes flickered over his shoulder and Lee felt his spine stiffen as a faint clacking came from behind him.

“I’m really sorry about this kid,” the soldier whispered.

Lee stared hard his breath caught in his throat. He whirled around. The shadows became men, men that Lee had a name for now.

In the day light the Dai Li were not nearly as menacing as in the shadows. They were men with rocks gloves and long dark green collared tunics. Green straw hats only shadowed the faces. But they were men.

Lee braced his stance not daring to blink as the world wobbled uncertainty. The words crept over his mind but he shoved it back as fiercely as he could.

The Dai Li approached and then six men charged. Lee flinched as a rock gloved smacked into his temple. One blink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Squints are confusing spellings. Dai Li vs Dai Lee. Flips a coin, Li it is.   
> And uh, ignore the real chapter numbers? When I was writing I forgot ao3 states what the chapter number is and you can't change that. (or at least I don't think you can). I am writing multiple takes of certain chapters and it looked pretty cool until I got here on ao3 and the little 'Chapter 2 Chapter 1' attacked. I might fix that some time but for now yall have to deal and I'll go crawl back under my rock.  
> Thank you for all of your amazing comments on the last couple of chapters! It was super fun to read all of your comments and I'm super stoked your guys seem to be into the story! Thanks for checking out this little guy


	4. Chapter 2: There are no wars in Ba Sing Se

Lee wasn’t sure what was different.

The owner had given him a strange look when he walked into work for the day. Lee must have looked like a mess. He felt like a mess. 

He was sticky with old dried sweat and his hair was oily and matted against his skull. He felt exhausted down to the marrow of his bones, but his mind was all together too frazzled and too wired to keep anything together for very long.

The Owner, Liang, watched Lee stumble around the shop. His face was pulled into a nervous frown that he took out on his long braid pulled over his shoulder. His hands folded into the earth kingdom billowing sleeves eyes nervously flickering around the shop. He shuffled forward sliding up to Lee as Lee yanked his apron on.

“Lee?”

The apron didn’t hide how grubby his work uniform was. _It’s so dusty, how did it get dusty?_ “I’m here for work. Sorry I’m late.”

Liang blinked and nodded slowly. He tugged again on his braid looking nervously at the door, “I see. Well then, I guess…”

Liang fluttered nervously around the hot plates. He kept staring at Lee. Unease curled up Lee’s spine. Tnese now he shoved his way into the small back room. The window was wide open letting in the hot late spring air. Lee stomped towards the shelf of tea leaves. Reaching up a flash of pain down his shoulder had a jar slipping from his fingers.

Swearing, he reached for the broom leaning against the window sill. Lee froze. A cold fear washed over him and he looked up at the eyes of a Dai Li.

Spinning on his heel he marched back out the front. He didn’t feel tired anymore.

_I have to get out of here. I need a plan. Joo dee would be easy enough to get around but what about the Dai Li?_

An eery sense of déjà vu shivered through him. He couldn’t remember what had happened. He’d woken up in Joo Dee’s apartment said good bye and walked to work, she had seemed the same as the last 3 days. But then there was Liang who was shocked to see him again, and then there was the Dai Li watching openly from the window.

_I lost time again._

He didn’t even remember what he did wrong this time. He poked his memory but nothing came back.

Lee pushed down his frustration keeping his spine stiff as he marched around the shop serving tea. Liang watched fretfully from behind his tea pots. The scowl fell naturally over Lee’s face. Fuming he stomped around never saying a word. Around him customers averted their gaze ducking there eyes low or back into there cups.

“Jasmine for table 9.” Lee snarled. “Green for table 3 and one pot of the hibiscus robus special for table 4.”

Liang tugged on his braid a few times.

“What?” Lee growled.

“Nothing.” Liang didn’t look at Lee.

“What the hell is wrong with all of you?” Lee snarled slamming his palm on the table. Liang jumped.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

Lee felt his hands itch as his temper rose. He felt like he had a fire roiling inside him, and all he had to do was open his mouth and scream and it would just blaze golden flames chomping and eating everything insight. His lip curled as his hands clenched the table.

“I know the Dai Li are watching me.” He hissed. Liang’s hands froze then he meticulously started back at his tea. Lee didn’t let up, “And I need you to be honest with me. What is wrong. Why were you surprised to see me? Tell me!”

He didn’t mean the near pleading tone his voice took on at the end by Liang was looking back at him. The worry melded into pity and Lee felt his blood boil. He couldn’t afford to shout, but it was a close thing. Liang looked around the shop casually, almost too casually he made it so obvious. Lee rolled his eyes.

Liang leaned forward under the pretense of inspecting his tea cups.

“You’ve been gone the last 2 days.” Liang whispered, “Three days ago you came to work and the Dai Li drag you off just outside, I didn’t think you would be back.”

Horror bore down like a flash ice encasing him. “Two days?” 

“Honestly, what did you _do?_ I’ve never seen the Dai Li hound someone so much.”

“I… I don’t know.” Lee tried to swallow around the growing horror crawling up from his belly.

It was not a good thought. Lee was silent as he took the cups from Liang and passed them out to the customers. His mind felt numb as he hurried about the store. Finally, there was another lull. Lee hurried back to Liang.

“What else?” Lee whispered scanning the corners out of the corner of his eye, “What else?”

“I don’t know anything else.”

“I know Joo Dee isn’t my aunt.”

“Shut up.” Liang hissed and Lee’s mouth snapped closed, “Don’t ever say that out loud again, you hear me? Don’t.”

Lee nodded his throat constricting.

“How much are you missing?” Liang asked as he checked the temperate of the boiled water before pouring it over the tea leaves.

“I remember about 3 days.” Lee said, “I sometimes know I’ve skipped time, other times I don’t.”

Liang’s face twisted into a deep scowl; he muttered a swear under his breath. All of this Lee noticed was very carefully hidden behind those giant sleeves of his.

Lee looked down at the slightly reflective surface of the tea. A thousand came to his mind but Lee found himself not asking any of them.

“Do you have a mirror?”

“Why?”

“Joo Dee doesn’t have any mirrors or anything reflective.” Lee said, “I don’t know why. I was hoping I could figure something out. The Dai Li get antsy when I touch my face, and Joo Dee has made me skip time before for it.”

“I don’t see anything usual. You’re a handsome young man… you have a large scar over your eye.”

Lee blinked, “It’s a scar?”

Liang jaw slacked and he shook himself a little, “It’s from fire, I think. Your hair covers most of it.”

Lee barely caught his hand before he could touch the scar. _It’s a scar from fire._

“Do you… do you not remember how you go it?” Liang whispered.

“No.” His hand brushed the rough skin. It was rough bumpy then smoothed out into waxy lumps further out form the eye. _Fire._

“Maybe that’s for the best.” Liang whispered very softly. His hand brushed Lee’s sleeve knocking the boy back out of his whirling thoughts. Liang’s eyes flickered to the door.

Abruptly a tray was shoved into Lee’s hands. “Get out their Lee! I don’t pay you to do nothing!”

Jumping Lee scrambled back and jumped to pass out the tea. His mind whirled. Liang didn’t meet his eyes again but Lee barely was paying attention to that.

_How did I forget a scar like that?_

Lee passed out tea with numb hands. _Why do the Dai Li not want me to know about my scar?_


	5. Leaves from the Vine

In his hand he tucked the little pocket mirror Liang has smuggled him back under the sheets. Lee curled up pulling the blankets to his face and brushing the eye. It felt familiar and the flashes of red, and endless blue fluttered around his brain.

_It must have hurt._ He blinked back a flash of scarlet that lingered behind his eyes. His temples throbbed a sharp pain driving the thought away.

Lee rolled over pulling his hand away. He stared up at the dark ceiling. Exhaustion pressed against his head. He felt like there where two boulders squeezing his brain. But his heart was racing and he couldn’t relax. Every noise had his mind lurching awake.

_I won’t be able to escape if I’m too tired._

It was a bad excuse. He would try anyways. His head pounded. His hand clasped the lotus tile hidden in his slippers.

_I just need to get out of here. How hard can it be to hide in a fucking city?_

His eyes snapped open and Lee rolled to his side and stayed still letting his mind race. If he had enough money he might be able to find someone to smuggle him out of the Upper Ring. He could probably hide in the Lower Ring. It was supposed to be crowded down there. He could hide at least well enough until he figured out how to get out of Ba Sing Se.

There were the trams that ran from wall to wall. But there was no direct tram from the Lower Wall to the Upper wall. If he got to the Middle ring he might be able to sneak across the agriculture wall until he figured out how to get to the Lower wall.

It’s the best he had.

Lee sat up slipping on his slippers the lotus tile clutched in his hand. He heard Joo Dee’s rhythmic shallow breaths as he stood up. The floor didn’t even creek as he moved. His muscles taking over in a familiar rhythm as he crept around the apartment. He found a cloak that he tugged on. He shoved a few coins Joo Dee had left out into his pockets. Slipping through the windows he crawled up onto the roof and then he was off.

The Dai Li had been watching. He heard the first one following after him. Slipping down a chimney stack he ducked into a shadow. The Dai Li landed loudly onto the cement. Lunging Lee dragged the man back into the shadows pinching his neck until he passed out.

Lee stole the hat draping the tunic over his own cloths. Climbing back onto the walls he took off. A few agents looked at him as he worked his way towards the trams, but they didn’t approach.

It was nearly dawn when he was close to the trams. Tugging off the tunic and the hat he shoved both of them into a rose bush and ran to the station. He got the ticket easily enough. Tucked into a corner of the train away from any of the windows and watching all the entrances and exits Lee slumped into his seat as the train started.

That’s when the ticket collector came by. The man seemed to take one look at Lee and focus in on a young man alone. He loomed over Lee scowling down at him as Lee produced his ticket. The conductor didn’t punch the ticket. He scowled down at Lee sizing him up.

“A little young to be traveling alone.” The conductor looked at him scowling at the tea shop apron, “What are you doing?”

“Uh, going for supplies?”

The man grumbled and punched the ticket moving onto his next victim.

Lee slumped in his seat as the conductor moved on to the next passenger. Around him he watched the rows of houses roll by then they were past the wall and the Middle Wall opened up with splotched of gardens. He could make out a bit building connected to several high roofed buildings. That had to be the famous university. It was encircled by a giant garden with it’s tall branches.

The cart shifted left and the university slipped out of view. Lee leaned back into the seat. He felt the cart coming to a stop. As soon as the doors opened lee pushed foreward into the thick of the crowd. His heart leapt into his throat. Dai Li stood on either side of the door scowling down at the passangers. Lee felt the rush fear crash through the crowds. Conversation died in people’s throats and helds almost in unision jerked down. Lee slipped in behind a large man who stood a good head and a half taller than himself. Keepign to the shadows he kept his eyes down.

There was a ripple of fear as the Dai Li moved, and the crowd shuffled faster as a unit. Knees knocked into his legs and Lee gripped the big man’s tunic as he stumbled. Honey brown eyes glanced back at him. The man galcned at a Dai Li out of the croner of his eye and tucked Lee into the crook of his arm. Hands clawed at his tunic but they slipped off as the Big man pushed him forward. The crowd spread and Lee glanced back. The big man caught Lee’s nod with a grimace.

Lee took off down the street.

He heard the pounding feet of the Dai Li behind him. Slipping around a corner Lee dived head first into a trash bin and tugged the lid over himself. He heard the footsteps pass by.

After a time, he crawled out form his hiding spot. A waft of rotten vegetables filled his nose.

“How demeaning.” Lee muttered. The alley was quiet around him. Over head there were garments hanging out to dry swinging lightly in the breeze.

Lee grabbed whatever looked like it might fit. He changed quickly, shoved the clothes into the bin, and started down the street. There where plenty of people to cover him as he wandered the city. Lee ignored his growling stomach as he searched. He followed the sight of older buildings down into a street. It wasn’t a bad street, Lee was certain he had been around worse even if he didn’t remember, but it was enough to find what he needed.

Eyes followed him but it wasn’t the Dai Li this time.

Lee was close to the wall now, it towered high up into the heaven hiding the sun from view. As Lee approached he spotted the hole in the wall were the river flowed down into the Lower Ring. Around the hole, earth kingdom guards sat mostly lounging laughing with the citizens. They didn’t wear the dark green of the Dai Li, but the bright green of an earth kingdom soldier’s uniform.

Lee slipped into the shadows and watched. Overhead the night settled and the corner grew completely dark.

Lee. Snuck out keeping low. Rolling close to the bank a half a mile up stream. He took a breath then dived into the river. The current caught him quickly and his palms scrapped against rocks on the bottom of the river. Adrenaline filled him as he slipped on by the guards.

They didn’t even notice.

Deep into the middle of the Lower Ring Lee crawled out of the river walking away. He let the water drip and his feet sink into the bank of the river. Each step into the wet mud felt like a taunt. A giddy pride washed over him curling his lips into a mocking sneer. Overhead the young moon glimmered and with the dim light of that moon Lee slipped deeper into the Lower Ring.

He’d sleep on the ground, he’d sleep in wet clothes, none of that mattered he was free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy y'all.  
> Have another chapter.


End file.
